Paula Deen's Pushing Fruits and Veggies? We're in Serious Trouble

Why do we Americans have such a contentious relationship with fruits and vegetables?

According to the CDC, we don't come even close to eating the recommended amount of fruits and veggies on a daily basis.

We've resorted to tricking ourselves into thinking baby carrots are chips and "cool" and selling them in vending machines.

And, now, none other than the Food Network's Butter Queen Paula Deen has announced that she's launching a line of fresh fruits and vegetables.

What is wrong with this picture? (And I mean in the metaphorical sense; the image to the right is a whole different story.)

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She recently told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that she's working with farmers and food producers on the line and says it will be "a dream solution for young mothers."

Admittedly, anything that gets people eating healthy food -- even celebrity endorsements -- should be applauded. But Paula Deen is famous for her decadence. She's built a brand around her Southern-style dishes that call for exorbitant amounts of butter, sour cream, lard, ranch dressing .... Basically, if an ingredient is heart attack-inducing, she uses it -- lots of it. At this point in her career would she even be believable as a healthy food spokesperson?

And, this may be leading us right into a dead-end, but how do you even market a line of fruits and vegetables? I mean, really? Who can tell the difference between, say, a conventional head of lettuce and Paula Deen lettuce? I'm thoroughly confused.

Perhaps this is simply her attempt to re-brand herself in the hopes of staying relevant. Or, if we are to take an eternally optimistic view of the situation, perhaps after years and years of pushing unhealthy food, she's found that she's now more inspired by creating recipes around healthy foods.

Or perhaps she really wants us to put more butter on our broccoli and lettuce. In which case, our national diet is in a lot worse shape than I thought.

What do you think about Paula Deen launching a line of fruits and vegetables?